Continuation of Best Quiet Case Question

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Werthan

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
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I hope no one minds, but I would like to pose a similar question regarding the best case that is both very quiet and has good airflow. However, I would like to know which case you would choose if there was no price concern (-there was a price cap of $200 on the previous post). In light of the fact that I was willing to purchase the PC-X500 before I read the somewhat disconcerting reviews here, it seems to me that I have a lot budgeted for the case. (FYI, I do not want the X2000 because it is just too tall for my setup.)

I was just wondering if everyone on the previous thread would still purchase the P182, or go for something else, such as a Lian Li or Silverstone. I have been looking very hard at the Lian Li PC-A70 and Lian Li PC-A7110. Yet, based on the reviews, it appears the P182 may be just as solid a choice, but I am not certain it is in the same class as the Lian Li-type cases.

Except for the graphics card, everything else for my build has arrived (see below). Thanks to silent-circuit, danny bui and others, I think I am going to stick with this for the next year or so before upgrading if the time is right for Nehalem processor, ram and mb. And I am actually building it myself. Who knew.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ASUS P5Q-E
Visiontek 4870x2 Graphics Card
OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W Power Supply
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme CPU Heatsink
Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS 300GB
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan


Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
 
If it has enough space for your needs then P182 is probably best case.
(e.g. for long graphic cards you have to remove upper HDD module)

For more space Lian Lis look good. I'm myself considering between A71 and V2110.
A71 is better than A70 because when not needing access to drives closing door (or keeping it ajar for more airflow) blocks direct noise escape path of intake fans and HDDs.
A7010/7110 have hard HDD mounting with plastic rails so unless HDDs have extremely little vibration those will always have some vibration induced background noise. As lighter material aluminum picks up vibrations more easily so preventing that is more important than with steel. (still one of the reasons for quietness of P18x is soft mounting of HDDs)
 
p182 all the way, especially if you can get it on sale. I picked mine up for $50 from Fry's - best computer purchase I've ever made. Even at $150, it's worth every penny.
 
E.T said:
If it has enough space for your needs then P182 is probably best case.
(e.g. for long graphic cards you have to remove upper HDD module)

For more space Lian Li's look good. I'm myself considering between A71 and V2110.
A71 is better than A70 because when not needing access to drives closing door (or keeping it ajar for more airflow) blocks direct noise escape path of intake fans and HDDs.
A7010/7110 have hard HDD mounting with plastic rails so unless HDDs have extremely little vibration those will always have some vibration induced background noise. As lighter material aluminum picks up vibrations more easily so preventing that is more important than with steel. (still one of the reasons for quietness of P18x is soft mounting of HDDs)
Click to expand...

I assume the 4870x2 is definitely a long graphics card. So, how many drive openings would that leave? Also, do you possibly know whether at 220 PSU will fit without issue?

The P182 seems like a fantastic case for the price. However, so many people rave about the Lian Li cases. To be honest, I like the look of the A70 better than the A71, but of course, that is just personal preference. I still love the look of the X500, and the 7110 is very similar (but larger). So now I am sort of debating between the 7110 and P182.
 
FYI, I am going with the P182. Any suggestions on where to purchase? Thanks.
 
Any suggestions for something significantly cheaper? P182 costs a pretty penny...
 
elleana said:
Any suggestions for something significantly cheaper? P182 costs a pretty penny...
Click to expand...

FYI, Newegg has a rebate coupon for the P182 -- $99.00. Not as good as the post regarding Frye's, but not too bad.
 
Had my P182 for a month or more now. I really like it. Almost as much as my V1200. P182 wins for quiet though.
 
This is an old thread but affects me as I was also looking at the PC-X500 as a quiet air cooled case for my next major air cooled build in November. I'm very interested in quiet computing (with high end hardware) and spend quite a bit of time/effort/and cash making my PC quiet, and I'm especially interested in why pick the P182 over the X500 if cost isn't an issue.

I used to have a P180 and was disappointed with the noise it made - the design simply wasn't ideal for minimising noise. Both the rear and top fan were unbaffled and did nothing to deflect the sound. The top was the worst and radiated the sounds of all the internal fans and hard drives drives right into my ears. I got fed up with it that I sealed it. Which helped a bit with noise and led to temp problems and I had to compensate by increasing the rear fan speed which made it just as noisy as before... I ended up throwing out the entire case in fustration and switching over to an lian-li pc-s80 (which actually sound baffled "all" the fans including the rear fan)...

So a couple of questions for those in the know:
- Is the P182 that much better than the P180?
- Has anyone actually compared the X500 to the P182 or is everyone here just guessing perhaps based on their experience with the P182 alone?
- Anyone have any feedback on the noise level and airflow of the PC-X500 based on actual experience? The front fans appear to be already sound baffled and I will probably mod the rear fans to keep them baffled...
 
I, personally have the P182 and not the X500. The only minor difference is the better cable management. I don't like the standard 120mm fans that come with the case and would suggest you to switch them out for some more silent ones, since the Antec ones don't push alot of air and makes alot of noise.
 
dC0m said:
I, personally have the P182 and not the X500. The only minor difference is the better cable management. I don't like the standard 120mm fans that come with the case and would suggest you to switch them out for some more silent ones, since the Antec ones don't push alot of air and makes alot of noise.
Click to expand...

I normally swap out the fans as soon as I get the case. Usually go for Yate Loons or Nexus connected to a T-balancer so I can properly undervolt them and ajust RPM's based on actual temperatures. I found the P180 a bit of a disappointment both in terms of the case temp (airflow) to noise ratio as well as just from a pure noise minimisation perspective. What's different with the P182?
 
dC0m said:
I, personally have the P182 and not the X500. The only minor difference is the better cable management. I don't like the standard 120mm fans that come with the case and would suggest you to switch them out for some more silent ones, since the Antec ones don't push alot of air and makes alot of noise.
Click to expand...

Just re-read your answer. If the only difference between the P180 and P182 is with cable management, and they've done nothing about that opening on top radiating sound then I'd probably not go with the P182. I really don't understand how a case like this can be viewed as the de facto "silent" case... Ah well, I'll see if I can get feedback on the X500's noise level... Thanks for your feedback.
 
if you are really worried about noise you could always replace the stock fans with some by noctua. i mean a 20 dollars a piece they aren't cheap. but as far as utter silence goes i don't know if they can be beat.
 
If you don't mind the looks, the HAF-932 is actually a very quiet case
top fan 230mm 700rpm
side 230mm 700rpm
front 230mm 700rpm
rear 140mm 1000rpm

Its audible sure, but compared to most computers its very quiet, I even use a fan controller to undervolt them down to 500rpm, even quieter and temps aren't sacrificed.

Able to run my 8800GT+ S1 passive, 40C idle, 60C load.
my TRUE has a Zalman F3, undervolted ~1300rpm

Very feature rich too, the hands free stuff works, if you don't like it, many screw bolts are supplied.
Very open cable management holes.
Very good water cooling capabilities too (can fit top rad 360mm)
 
echn111 said:
This is an old thread but affects me as I was also looking at the PC-X500 as a quiet air cooled case for my next major air cooled build in November. I'm very interested in quiet computing (with high end hardware) and spend quite a bit of time/effort/and cash making my PC quiet, and I'm especially interested in why pick the P182 over the X500 if cost isn't an issue.

I used to have a P180 and was disappointed with the noise it made - the design simply wasn't ideal for minimising noise. Both the rear and top fan were unbaffled and did nothing to deflect the sound. The top was the worst and radiated the sounds of all the internal fans and hard drives drives right into my ears. I got fed up with it that I sealed it. Which helped a bit with noise and led to temp problems and I had to compensate by increasing the rear fan speed which made it just as noisy as before... I ended up throwing out the entire case in fustration and switching over to an lian-li pc-s80 (which actually sound baffled "all" the fans including the rear fan)...

So a couple of questions for those in the know:
- Is the P182 that much better than the P180?
- Has anyone actually compared the X500 to the P182 or is everyone here just guessing perhaps based on their experience with the P182 alone?
- Anyone have any feedback on the noise level and airflow of the PC-X500 based on actual experience? The front fans appear to be already sound baffled and I will probably mod the rear fans to keep them baffled...
Click to expand...
The P182 is a step in the right direction but as you've found out it's far from perfect. The design is good for minimizing vibrations and resonance - there's almost none in this case. But for fan noise you still need to do work. The stock tricool fans are horrible for a quiet computer; I found them pretty loud at the lowest setting and unbearable on anything else. But I've never heard a good stock fan, so it doesn't matter.The top fan opening is an obvious flaw, as all the noise they've worked so hard to keep inside the case just goes right out there.
The case also doesn't have enough intake stock for a modern gaming computer, so you need to add a quiet middle intake fan and remove (or mod) the filter doors that are impeding airflow.
 
LuckyNV said:
If you don't mind the looks, the HAF-932 is actually a very quiet case
top fan 230mm 700rpm
side 230mm 700rpm
front 230mm 700rpm
rear 140mm 1000rpm

Its audible sure, but compared to most computers its very quiet, I even use a fan controller to undervolt them down to 500rpm, even quieter and temps aren't sacrificed.

Able to run my 8800GT+ S1 passive, 40C idle, 60C load.
my TRUE has a Zalman F3, undervolted ~1300rpm

Very feature rich too, the hands free stuff works, if you don't like it, many screw bolts are supplied.
Very open cable management holes.
Very good water cooling capabilities too (can fit top rad 360mm)
Click to expand...

Every review says those 230mm fans are extremely loud. Hard to believe undervolting them down to 500 would make them quiet enough for a "quiet" case.
 
crazyhorsejohnny said:
Every review says those 230mm fans are extremely loud. Hard to believe undervolting them down to 500 would make them quiet enough for a "quiet" case.
Click to expand...
Because of much bigger size blades have much faster linear velocity at same RPM (=angle velocity) as 12cm fan so RPM has to be lot lower for same amount of airflow noise. Other question mark is bearing, blades start to weight lot so bearing has to be lot tougher which might increase noise from it.
In any case those huge holes allow escaping of slightest noises.
LuckyNV said:
my TRUE has a Zalman F3, undervolted ~1300rpm
Click to expand...
1300rpm isn't quiet speed, more like border zone of noisy.

Eagle156 said:
The P182 is a step in the right direction but as you've found out it's far from perfect... The top fan opening is an obvious flaw, as all the noise they've worked so hard to keep inside the case just goes right out there.
Click to expand...
Also top fans can mess airflow seriously.
Just yesterday in Finnish forum owner of CM Cosmos reported that making air guide/tunnel (=airflow bypassing top fans) dropped CPU load temperature 10C. (stock fans replaced by 1000rpm Nexus)
 
crazyhorsejohnny said:
Every review says those 230mm fans are extremely loud. Hard to believe undervolting them down to 500 would make them quiet enough for a "quiet" case.
Click to expand...

source?

I'm using it now, and any other HAF user will say its extremely quiet. I've read about 7 or 8 site reviews, I don't recall any stating its loud at all, infact totally the opposite.

1300rpm isn't quiet speed, more like border zone of noisy.
Click to expand...

Obviously peoples definition of "quiet" will differ, an F3 @1300rpm certainly is quiet for day to day desktop browsing use, when I sleep I reduce it further down to about 600rpm, which makes it inaudible.

As I've mentioned, grilling/holes/mesh etc... while they will leak noise, its a small issue when all your components are quiet.
 
People going for the HAF are probably more noise tolerant than people going for the P182. I wouldn't consult a HAF owner for "silent/quiet" builds.
 
LuckyNV said:
source?

I'm using it now, and any other HAF user will say its extremely quiet. I've read about 7 or 8 site reviews, I don't recall any stating its loud at all, infact totally the opposite.



Obviously peoples definition of "quiet" will differ, an F3 @1300rpm certainly is quiet for day to day desktop browsing use, when I sleep I reduce it further down to about 600rpm, which makes it inaudible.

As I've mentioned, grilling/holes/mesh etc... while they will leak noise, its a small issue when all your components are quiet.
Click to expand...


Sorry I was thinking of Thermaltake Spedo. A few reviews have said it's noisy.
 
The Antec P182 sacrifices some airflow. The HAF sacrifices some noise insulation. *shrug* A lot of it is going to come down to case placement and internal component selection.

The Antec's size, price, and generally higher temps kept it off my list last time. Imo, for the best combinations of "quiet and cool" you need to be looking at full tower cases. I'd keep my eye out for the CM Raytheon ATC-840 around the end of the month. Could be the best of both worlds. It takes the cooling layout of the HAF and throws doors in several bells and whistles, including doors in front of the fans and a removable mobo tray. It should be very competitive with the A71/V2100/A7110 in terms of price/performance.

-S
 
If you want advice on a quiet build, I'd check out www.silentpcreview.com. Their forums are very nice and the whole thing is dedicated to quiet computers. They offer lists of their picks for things like heatsinks, fans, cases, harddrives, etc.

If you look through their gallery of machines, you'll see it's a very pro-Antec bunch. There are some Cooler Master cases, a few more Lian-Lis, 2 or 3 Thermaltake cases, and the rest are Antec. The Antec Solo gets the most love by far. Also, generally, aluminum cases aren't good, as they're lack of mass compared to steel will allow more vibrations. Hence, why Antec's get the most love at SPCR.

As far as your question goes, I've seen the X500 and it's nice. I wouldn't use it for a quiet build though. Maybe for a server, but not for a quiet rig. I would seriously look into the P182, Solo or Sonata III if they have enough room for what you're looking for.

For fans, generally 1200rpm is borderline quiet. My Antec Tricool fan that came with my Antec Solo was perfectly quiet. I could hear my 7900GS and factory Intel heatsink at idle over the case fan any time of day. I still swapped all my fans for Nexus units though. It's not hard to find quiet fans. However, don't expect all fans to undervolt very well. One of the reasons Nexus, Noctua, and Scythe fans are so popular with silencers is that they do well with low voltages, Some fans won't go below 10v, while the good ones can go as low as 5v. Low starting voltages, smaller hubs, more efficient bearing designs, fin structure.... Most fans are just fans. They have different speeds and different connectors, but that's about it. The better units are better because they're engineered better. Hence why Scythe units are $12, Nexus for $15, and Noctua for around $20 per fan. They're much better engineered.

The only thing I'd like to comment on otherwise was your video card. If this is an air-cooled rig, then I'm not sure how you're going to cool a Radeon HD4870X2. If you're creative, I'm sure you could probably get a couple Zalman VF-900 coolers on there, but that's about it. I'm not about to buy a dual-GPU card just to find out :)

Best of luck with your build and hope to see it in the gallery soon.
 
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